A Poetic Appreciation of the Poem "Father
Returning Home" by Dilip Chitre
Class 12 English State Board
About the Poet:
Dilip Chitre stands as a luminary in Indian poetry. His poems are realistic pictures of common people’s life. Besides a poet, he was a versatile artist, filmmaker and translator. His profound understanding of the human condition is mirrored in "Father Returning Home".
About the Poem:
"Father Returning Home"
is a lyrical masterpiece. It’s very rare to have a poem reflecting a father’s
pathetic condition after returning home very tired. The poem tells the tale of
the father in dramatic way. The poet casts a compassionate gaze on the father,
revealing the isolation that he faces from his wife and children. The poem is
an unspoken melancholy of loneliness and aging. The poem also unfolds fact that
alienation is inherent in modern existence.
Poetic Devices:
Chitre's mastery of poetic devices
enhances the emotional resonance of the poem. The poetic devices used in the
poem are as follow:
Alliteration: ‘Suburbs slide past
his unseeing’ In this line the sound ‘s’ has been repeated.
Paradox : The phrase ‘unseeing
eyes’ is self contradictory
Personification : Suburbs are given
animate quality of sliding past.
Simile: Now I can see him getting
off the Like a word dropped from a long sentence. The action of the father
getting off from the crowded train is directly comapred to a word being dropped
form a long sentence. The word ‘like’ is used.
Imagery: "his office back to his home" , "his wife, his son, and daughter / are sleeping." The Rhythm and Structure: The poem's rhythm and structure mirror the monotony of the father's routine, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life.
My Opinion/Moral:
"Father Returning Home" serves as a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life and the inevitability of solitude. The poem invites reflection on the fragility of human connections, urging us to cherish the moments spent with our loved ones.